Sunday, May 24

14Now when Abram heard his brother Lot was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants, born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

15So he divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked and pursued them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.

16So he brought back all the cavalry of Sodom, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.

17Then the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley), after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings with him.

18Now Melchizedek the king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.

19He blessed Abram and said, 'Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth;

20and blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hands.' Then Abram gave him a tithe of all.

8Behold, I am delivering the land in your presence; go in and inherit the land I swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give it to them and their seed after them.'

9'So I spoke to you at that time, saying, 'I alone am not able to bear you.

10The Lord your God multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude.

11May the Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you, just as He said.

12How can I alone bear your labors, your burdens, and your lawsuits?

13Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them leaders over you.'

14'Then you answered me and said, 'The thing you told us to do is good.'

15So I took from you wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men and made them leaders over you: leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens; judges to interpret the law for you.

16'Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the resident alien with him.

17You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall judge the small and the great; you shall not shrink before any man's presence, for the judgment is God's. The case too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.'

14Indeed, heaven and heaven of heaven belong to the Lord your God, also the earth and everything in it.

15The Lord chose your fathers to love them; and He chose their seed after them, you above all nations, as it is this day.

16Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.

17For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.

18He administers justice for the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, and loves the resident alien, giving him food and clothing.

19Therefore, love the resident aliens, for you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt.

20You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and hold fast to Him, and take oaths in His name.

21He is your boast and your God, who did these great and glorious things for you, the things you saw with your own eyes.

1After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself:

2Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.

3Simon Peter said to them, 'I am going fishing.'

4They said to him, 'We are going with you also.' They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

5Then Jesus said to them, 'Children, have you any food?'

6They answered Him, 'No.' And He said to them, 'Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.' So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!' Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.

8But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish.

9Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.

10Jesus said to them, 'Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.'

11Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fiftythree; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.

12Jesus said to them, 'Come and eat breakfast.' Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, 'Who are You?'—knowing that it was the Lord.

13Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.

14This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

16For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.

17From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.

18And when they had come to him, he said to them: 'You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you,

19serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;

20how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,

21testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

22And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,

23except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.

24But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

25'And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.

26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.

27For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

28Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

29For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

30Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

31Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

32'So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

33I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.

34Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.

35I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' '

36And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

1Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: 'Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,

2as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.

3And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

4I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.

5And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

6'I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

7Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.

8For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

9'I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

10And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.

11Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.

12While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

13But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.